The inside scoop on food in Los Angeles

Spring has sprung: April showers bring May ... cocktails

April 8, 2011 | 4:25
pm

In the spring, some urbanites seek out wildflowers, and others, cocktails. Luckily, the latter are coming up like poppies. Here are a few:

Cana Rum Bar: Bar manager Allan Katz has rolled out a spring menu with drinks categorized under "daggers, pistols and cannons." A "diabolically tasty" Pimm's Cup "remix" called the Bad Passenger has Beefeater, Amaro Lucano, fresh citrus, strawberries and bitter lemon soda. The Tennessee Isle is described as "what a Sazerac would taste like if the wicked witch of the West overtook Kansas and sent Tennessee to the Caribbean via flying monkey." It's Prichard's rum, overripe-mango-infused absinthe, coconut and Peychaud's. Don't forget the punch.

1886: Marcos Tello, who along with Aidan Demarest creates the cocktail menus at the Raymond's 1886 bar in Pasadena, says the spring menu will be unveiled in the next few weeks. Tello says they're moving on from fat-washing (mixing fat or oil with a spirit, chilling or freezing it until the fat solidifies, then skimming and/or straining the fat) with peanuts to mixing with coffees and teas. Also, expect a barrel-aged version of a Caprice -- not the Chevy kind, the gin-vermouth-Benedictine kind.